


May the stars shine all around you

by bertie



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M, Vancouver Canucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-26
Updated: 2013-10-26
Packaged: 2017-12-30 12:02:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1018372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertie/pseuds/bertie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex and Mason are best friends, but Mason makes a few bad choices and ends up with a son just before they're set to go off to college.</p>
            </blockquote>





	May the stars shine all around you

**Author's Note:**

> i’m really super proud of this thing and good lord it took a long time but it was worth it
> 
> the title is from this beautiful song [[youtube.com/watch?v=vA_EilKAEms]] sung by british military wives (((((you will cry when you watch that video)))))

“Alex?”

“Yeah, Mase,” Alex answers, the phone tucked against his ear.

“Could you come over and help me study for my French test?” Mason asks and he sounds exhausted.

Alex sits his bottle of Gatorade on the counter. “Of course, but you sound tired. Should you take a nap first?”

“I don’t have time.” His voice is weak and Alex is scared.

“I’ll be right over, okay? I’m on my way.”

Mason greets him at the door with a baby boy in his arms, who is sucking on Mason’s shirt. He looks tired and his eyes are red like he had been crying.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Alex asks as he steps inside. “Who’s this little guy?”

Mason’s eyes fill with tears and his lip trembles. “William; he’s my son.”

Alex feels his stomach tie itself in knots and he just wraps his arms around Mason. “It’s going to be alright. I’ll help you out as best I can, okay?”

He takes William from Mason and cradles him close to his chest. William coos kind of sweetly in Alex’s ear, settles contentedly against his chest. Mason wipes his eyes and sniffles.

“He likes you,” he says pitifully and Alex reaches out to rub his back comfortingly.

“Let’s get something to drink and I’ll help you study,” Alex suggests, and Mason leads him into the kitchen.

 Mason sits at the island and Alex rocks William, who giggles and babbles at him, as he teaches Mason conjugations of _attendre_ and past participles. The garage door opens and Mason tenses visibly, his fingers vice-like on his pencil. He keeps his head down when his parents come in, scribbling furiously in his notebook. Alex just smiles at them and they give him a tense nod, glancing unhappily in Mason’s direction.

“Can I stay over tonight?” Alex asks, but does not intend on leaving either way.

Mason nods quickly, still pushing tears from his eyes. “Let’s go up to my room.”

They collect Mason’s books and William’s bag and bouncy chair and head upstairs. Mason sits on the bed and Alex sets William down in his arms. Almost immediately, Mason smiles and he croons down at William, who giggles and reaches for Mason’s face. Alex sits down beside him and opens his notebook.

“Okay, everything here is right,” Alex says and draws a circle around the first five sentences with his finger. “In this one, the only thing is ‘à le’ becomes ‘de’ but everything else is fine. You’re getting much better.”

“That’s because you’re my tutor,” Mason teases, leaning against Alex with a grin.

They pass the time with homework and Alex goes downstairs to get William’s bottle instead of possibly subjecting Mason to his parents. When he comes back, Mason is laying on his side with William beside him, talking softly.

“How do you feel about moving, huh? Alex is going to college soon so maybe we could go with him. I want to get away from here and he’s the only thing that makes me happy anymore. I wish he liked me the way I like him.”

William reaches out to Mason and he kisses his hand.

“Do you like Alex?” He asks him, and William squeals delightedly. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Alex backtracks down the hall and makes a little more noise when he returns. “I hope this isn’t too warm.”

Mason sits up and takes the bottle, smiling so brightly. “It’s perfect.”

Alex brushes his teeth while Mason feeds William, takes over so Mason can get ready for bed.

“You’re such a good baby,” Alex coos, “I think you should let me and your daddy sleep tonight, okay? We have school in the morning and your daddy needs to pass his French test. I want him to be able to graduate so I can apply for family housing and let him come with me to college.”

William just sucks tiredly on his bottle and holds onto Alex’s fingers. Mason comes back into the bedroom and curls up beside Alex in his sweatpants and t-shirt and Alex really wants to kiss him.

“The air mattress is in the linen closet if you don’t mind getting it,” he mumbles, looking so tired.

“Of course I don’t mind.” Alex hands William back to Mason.

Mason sinks lower and lower in his bed as Alex sets up the mattress on the floor. He takes a sleeping William from him and lays him in his crib in the corner.

“Scoot up,” Alex murmurs to Mason.

He makes a pitiful noise and does so, curls up on his side. Alex pulls the covers up and smooths them over Mason. He turns off the light and lays down on the air mattress.

It doesn’t take long for him to fall asleep, but he wakes during the night to soft little whimpers from Mason’s bed. He reaches up to hold Mason’s hand, stroking his thumb over his knuckles. After a moment, Mason calms and his fingers relax but Alex doesn’t let go.

…

It’s the day before graduation and Mason is happy. Alex loves seeing him that way because his smile is crooked and perfect and it makes his chest fill with warmth. They’re sitting in Alex’s backyard on a blanket with William and Alex decides to tell him.

“Mase,” he starts, gentle and hopeful.

“Yeah?” Mason is grinning and he sounds so content.

“You know I got a scholarship,” he says and Mason nods. “Well, I applied for family housing and I wanted to know if you and William would come with me.”

Mason sits up and looks concerned. “Are you serious?”

Alex nods. “Yes, I want you and William to come to school with me because I am in love with you and William both.”

Mason’s face lights up and he scrambles to his knees to throw his arms around Alex’s neck and kiss him. Alex smiles into the kiss and holds him around his waist, has waited years for this.

“How long have you felt this way?” Mason asks, settled in Alex’s lap and carding his fingers through the hair at the base of his neck.

“Since we met,” Alex says, smoothing Mason’s t-shirt down his back. “You had to help me find my chemistry class and I was hooked.”

Mason smiles coyly. “I fell in love with you when you took me to that Calgary Flames game because you knew I loved them and I couldn’t believe that you remembered.”

“So you’ll come to school with me?” Alex asks.

“Yes, oh god yes I’ll come with you,” he answers and kisses Alex again.

They spend the day in the warmth and William chews on his fist as he lies in Mason’s arms. Alex tucks Mason against his chest and kisses his cheek.

“It really doesn’t bother you that I have William?”

“Of course not,” Alex says. “I love both of you and I would never leave you just because you have a child. He’s precious.”

They stay outside until the sun starts sinking lower in the sky and William gets fussy. Alex’s mother comes home from work soon after Mason settles on the couch to feed William. She coos over William and even kisses Mason on the top of his head as she always has. Alex catches her before she can go up to change and just smiles at her.

“I told him,” he says and his mother grins.

“I’m happy for you both.” She hugs him tight and leans over the couch to kiss Mason again.

Alex kisses Mason as well after she leaves and strokes his hand over William’s wispy hair. “He looks so much like you.”

Mason looks up at him and smiles kind of sadly, but accepts Alex’s soft kiss anyway.

As Alex’s mother makes dinner, Alex sits on the floor with Mason and plays with William. He’s still little and can hardly sit up on his own but he’s thrilled when Alex plays peek-a-boo with him. Alex’s father comes home from work as Alex pops out from under William’s blanket again, laughs heartily at them.

“How are you, Mason?” He asks, squeezing his shoulder.

“I’m doing better,” Mason replies, holding onto William as he wriggles and reaches for Alex.

“That’s good to hear. Tomorrow’s the big day,” he says and Mason’s smile falls.

“Yeah, it is.” He tries to sound excited, but it falls flat and Alex sees the pain there.

Alex’s father disappears upstairs and Alex sits up to scoot a little closer to Mason.

“Are your parents coming to graduation?” Alex asks, rubbing Mason’s back.

Mason shakes his head. “No. They haven’t spoken a word to me in about six days and they left a note saying they were going on business trips for a week and a half. I guess…can I stay over here?”

“You can stay forever,” Alex soothes, tucking some stray curls behind Mason’s ear.

Mason smiles shyly and Alex kisses him on the forehead. William sleeps in his swing Alex put together for him while they eat at the little kitchen table. Alex tells his dad when Mason is sticking a forkful of potatoes in his mouth. He looks startled when Alex’s dad claps Alex on the back and is grinning at them, but he recovers fairly quickly.

“I was wondering when Alex would finally say something and I’m so glad you felt the same, Mason. You’re already family to us,” his father says, and Alex sees Mason’s eyes fill with tears.

He holds his hand under the table and strokes his knuckles, looking at him worriedly.

“Is everything alright?” Alex’s mother asks, reaching for Mason.

Alex nods, but doesn’t look away from Mason. “He’s having issues with his parents so I’m sure your acceptance means more than anything.”

Mason nods and wipes his hand under his eyelashes. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” his mother says, getting up to retrieve the box of tissues from the end table in the living room. “No parent should ever treat their child with anything but love and adoration. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you need.”

It takes a few moments, but then Mason sniffles and he can smile when Alex’s father tells a bad joke he heard at work that day. Alex scoots his chair a little closer and holds his hand for the rest of the meal. William wakes soon after and he makes soft noises as he tries to put all of his fingers in his mouth. Mason smiles a little wider when he goes to retrieve him from his swing, looks even happier when he has William in his arms.

Mason tries to help with the dishes, but Alex’s mother and William refuse to let him. So Alex sits on the love seat with Mason, who rocks William until he quiets and then talks to him to keep his attention away from the pain of his teething. Alex tucks Mason close, rubs his back until Mason is nearly asleep on his shoulder.

“I need to take a shower,” Mason kind of whispers against Alex’s neck.

“Why don’t you take one in the morning?” Alex suggests, still rubbing Mason’s back.

“I think I smell so bad that one shower won’t cut it,” Mason teases, sitting up.

Alex just laughs at him and offers his hands. “I’ll take William for you. We’ll have some bonding time.”

Mason grins and Alex falls in love with him one thousand times over. “Parenting magazines suggest skin-to-skin contact for bonding with your baby. Something to think about.”

He winks at Alex and Alex knows his cheeks just turned an unflattering shade of scarlet. But he smiles and winks back.

“I’ll consider it,” he says with a crooked smile that makes Mason visibly swoon.

He watches Mason disappear into the hall and up the stairs and he keeps rocking William because he’s getting sleepy again and making content noises against his chest.

“You’re the sweetest little baby and you make your daddy so happy. Do you know that? He just smiles and smiles whenever he gets to see you. Hopefully I can make him that happy one day,” Alex murmurs, letting William suck on his finger and it kind of melts his heart.

“Alex, Mason is calling you,” his father says when he comes into the living room.

Alex stands and William gives a little whine. He looks at his dad and chews on his lip.

“Will you hold him?” He asks.

“Oh, of course,” his dad replies, reaching for William.

Alex hands him over and goes to the stairs, sees Mason at the top of the stairs.

“I can’t find a towel.” He looks exhausted and his curls are limp but he doesn’t look nearly as sad as he has in the past months.

“They’re probably in the dryer. I’ll get you one.”

Mason nods and smiles, and Alex ducks through the kitchen to grab a towel out of the laundry room. He goes up the stairs to give it to Mason and kiss his cheek.

“Take as long as you want and then we’ll just relax for the rest of the evening,” he says, leaving another kiss on Mason’s temple.

When he returns to the living room, his father has William swaddled in his blanket, sucking on his pacifier, and dozing peacefully. He almost doesn’t want to ruin the moment so he takes a picture with his phone before sitting down beside his dad.

After a moment, he says, “I applied for family housing at school and Mason is going with me. He told his parents and all they said was, “Good.” I don’t want him ever going back there.”

He expects his dad to make an excuse that having Mason and William would screw up his studying or his hockey but he just sighs. “I can’t believe they treat him like that. Is it all over William or because he’s with another boy?”

“It’s because of William,” Alex sighs. “They don’t even know we’re together.”

His dad just rocks William a little and stares down at him and Alex has a sudden, strong urge to just hold Mason and William for a long time. So he peels William away from his father and grabs a bottle just in case and goes up to his room. He lays William down in his pop-up crib and waits for Mason. It doesn’t take long for Mason to shuffle in, looking more exhausted by the second. He smiles at Alex, but goes straight to William, looking down at him with a sort of tired serenity. Then he burrows into Alex’s arms and he feels the tension leak out of his muscles almost immediately.

Before Alex can even start to say something to Mason, he hears a quiet snuffling noise and glances down to find Mason asleep against his chest. He just kisses the top of his head and maneuvers them underneath the covers, reaching carefully to flip off the lamp.

…

Alex’s mother and father keep William with them in the audience at graduation and Mason is fretful the entire time without him. Alex just presses a quick kiss to his forehead and fixes his tie before they have to walk in to their seats.

“It’ll just be a couple hours and then we’ll be free and you can hold your baby and I can kiss you because fuck all of these people,” he says, voice low.

Mason laughs under his breath and leans up to kiss Alex quickly before scampering back to his spot toward the back of the line. Alex just smiles and they file quietly in.

The ceremony is long and boring and terrible except that he gets to clap and whistle for Mason when he gets his hard-earned diploma. He can’t get out of the place quick enough and Mason is waiting for him by a tree, jumps up to wave for him. He scoops him up in a hug, spins him around until Mason laughs delightedly in his ear. Before he puts him down, Alex kisses him firm and sure and strong. Mason makes a content noise and then Alex sits him down because his parents come out of the building and Mason is practically vibrating with the need to hold William.

They don’t take any pictures until they get back to Alex’s house, but then Alex’s mother stands them in front of a tree and takes nearly a hundred photos. Mason holds William almost the entire time and his smiles are impossibly wide and Alex just has to kiss him again.

…

Mason spends the entire summer living with Alex’s family and hasn’t spoken to his parents since after graduation when he and Alex went to pack up Mason’s things. Move-in day at the university comes in early August and they are eager to have their own space. Alex retrieves the key to their apartment and they drive through campus to the family housing. Their apartment is spacious and William even gets his own room.

They’re exhausted by the time most of the boxes are unpacked and William is asleep in his crib, but that doesn’t stop them from enjoying their newfound freedom. Alex tucks Mason beneath him on their freshly made bed, gets his legs up around his hips, and kisses him like his life depends on it. Mason makes the best noises, all breathless and amazed like Alex is the absolute best at kissing. But soon Mason pulls away to breathe heavily and curl his fingers into Alex’s hair.

“I want to take things slow, okay?” Mason says, his legs still up around Alex’s waist.

Alex feels like he could come right then, but he nods and kisses Mason lightly. “Whatever you want.”

Slow nearly kills Alex, but the way Mason shies away when things go further than wandering hands makes Alex keep himself in check. The farthest he got with another boy was awkward hand jobs but he did his research and knows what to do if Mason should ask to keep going. But he never does, looks apologetic every time he pushes Alex away, and he finally stops reacting to Alex at all.

“What’s the matter?” Alex asks one evening.

Mason is holding William while he sleeps and blinking back tears. Alex sits beside him on the couch and strokes his curls. He has dark circles under his eyes and his lips are pale.

“I don’t know why you keep me around,” he whispers, hangs his head.

“Why do you say that, Mase?” Alex tugs him a little closer, drapes his legs over his own.

“I’m always up and down with William at night and hardly even kiss you anymore because I’m just so tired and I’m terrified of having sex again. Neither of us can get pregnant, but I wasn’t ready the first time and it scared me. I can’t make myself go through with it again.”

“Oh, sweetheart, it’s alright.” Alex wipes the tears away as they fall and Mason leans his head against his shoulder. “It’s okay. I don’t want anything from you unless you are sure you’re ready.”

“Let me have William,” Alex says, carefully takes William from him.

He leaves only for a moment to put William in his crib and returns to collect Mason into his arms. He kisses his forehead and rubs his back, lets him cry until he’s ready to talk.

“You need to get some sleep, _petit cerf._ I’ll get up with William, all right? My history class isn’t until eleven anyways, and you’ll get sick if you don’t sleep properly. Why don’t you get a shower and I’ll make you some dinner and we can talk about everything when you feel better, okay?”

Mason nods miserably and wipes his eyes as he stands. Alex walks with him into the bathroom and kisses the back of his neck before leaving him there. He makes pasta and heats up a jar of sauce and cuts up little slices of roasted chicken. When Mason returns, he’s wearing a pair of flannel pants from the school’s bookstore and one of Alex’s hockey sweatshirts. He looks small and timid but he takes Alex’s breath away.

“Hey, feeling better?”

“Yeah, sorry I…”

Alex catches Mason around the waist and kisses him softly. “Don’t apologize. You’re allowed to throw screaming fits if you want to and I will not say a damn thing. But if you’re upset, talk to me, okay? I don’t want you to keep it inside if it bothers you so much.”

“Okay,” Mason says, gives Alex a tiny smile.

Mason eats two helpings of the pasta and even giggles when Alex dances as he washes the dishes. They cuddle up under a blanket on the couch and Alex situates Mason on his lap.

“I love you,” he whispers against Mason’s temple, leaves a kiss there.

Mason looks at him through his lashes and kisses the corner of his mouth. “I love you too.”

…

It’s Valentine’s Day when they finally do have sex. Alex scored the game-winning goal the night before and Mason had slowly opened up to him over the months. Mason kisses Alex when he comes home from his night class and gives him a look that has all the blood in Alex’s body rushing south.

“William is asleep and we have the air machine,” Mason says, and Alex knows exactly what is happening.

They keep the baby monitor on the nightstand just incase, but their focus is solely on one another. Alex goes slow and gentle, kissing down Mason’s chest and belly after they discard his shirt. He feels the shiver in Mason’s breathing, as he gets closer to his jeans, slips his fingers underneath the waistband just to tease.

Finally, Alex is sliding gently, so carefully inside Mason, soothing his whimpers with kisses and soft hands.

“It’s okay, take some deep breaths. Do you want to stop?”

Mason nods quickly and curls his fingers into the sheets.

Alex shifts very slowly onto his forearms, strokes Mason’s curls. “Do you want me to pull out?”

“No,” Mason says, soft and pained, but his blue eyes are nearly swallowed up by his pupils. “Just give me a minute.”

He whimpers at the slightest movement and Alex feels terrible, but Mason keeps him close and eventually his breathing evens out.

“Feel a little better?” Alex asks, lips pressed to his forehead.

He had snuck a hand down to massage gently above where they were connected, and all the tension leaked from Mason’s body.

“Yeah,” he sighs, smiling at Alex. “Keep going.”

Alex kisses him and is surprised at how steady he keeps himself because Mason is hot and tight and slick and it’s maddening. Mason gives a surprised moan when Alex sinks into him completely. After a moment, he shifts his legs to wrap around Alex’s hips.

“I didn’t think it would feel this good,” he says amazedly, reaches up to card his fingers through Alex’s hair.

Alex chuckles and kisses Mason soft and sure and it makes the entire night something more than special. A quietly surprised moan is pulled from his throat when Alex pulls back and sinks slowly into him again.

“ _Oh_ , _oh._ ” Mason holds onto Alex’s shoulder tightly, digging short fingernails into his skin.

“Don’t tense up,” he says, voice gentle and sweet in the dim light.

But the things he’s making Mason feel are hard to ignore and it sets his nerves on fire and he has to fist a hand in the sheets to keep from pulling Alex’s hair. Mason’s breaths are jagged and ruined and all kinds of sexy. He smiles though when Alex nuzzles his face up to kiss his jaw and down his throat.

“I can’t believe that I have you,” he murmurs before going back to sucking a bruise under the hinge of Mason’s jaw.

His hips move lazily and it drives Mason wild. He aches for any kind of touch and nearly cries in relief when Alex pulls him closer and picks up his pace. He covers Mason’s mouth with his own and Mason allows his noises to filter through Alex’s lips so he might possibly understand the amount of emotion he’s feeling.

Suddenly, Mason comes with a shout and his back lifts several inches off the bed. His legs go slack around Alex’s hips and he shakes with the force of his orgasm. Alex smiles and hitches his legs up a little, supports them with his arms and rubs his hips as he continues. Mason gives a trembling smile and pulls Alex down for a kiss.

“Come on, baby. Come for me,” he says, barely any volume behind the words but he knows Alex hears every syllable because his muscles jump.

“I know you’re close; come on. _Use me,_ Alex.”

And just like that Alex comes and he’s moaning Mason’s name in such a way that it resonates through his chest. Alex pulls out slow and careful, before he softens completely, and Mason feels so empty. But after Alex wraps the condom in a tissue and tosses it in the direction of the trashcan, he curls up against Mason’s chest to rest. They’re both covered in sweat and lube and semen but it bothers neither of them.

Mason strokes Alex’s hair reverently, leaving little kisses on the top of his head as he catches his breath. Before either of them can fall asleep, Alex bullies Mason into the shower and is attentive in their clean up. It makes Mason blush but the way Alex kisses him is enough reassurance. Alex’s hands are warm and soft when he pulls Mason’s sweatpants up, folding them over twice at the waist.

“I’ll check on, Will. Get in bed and I’ll be back in a minute,” he says, kissing Mason’s damp curls.

Alex disappears through the doorway, boxer briefs hanging low on his hips and making Mason ache a little for another round. But he’s already feeling the soreness and just the thought of anything touching his backside again is very unappealing. He crawls stiffly into bed and is careful when he curls up on his side, but lying down is more comfortable and he can relax. When Alex returns, he’s drifting back and forth over the edge of sleep and it’s nice.

“Take these before you fall asleep,” Alex whispers, smoothing Mason’s hair to rouse him.

He swallows the pills with the water Alex offers, watches Alex down the rest of the liquid before setting the glass on the nightstand. He slides into bed easily, like every other night, bundles Mason against his chest. But there’s a difference to the way he settles his hand on Mason’s back, less hesitant and more confident in the way he strokes little circles there.

“Your fingers are great at a lot of things,” Mason says, eyes closed and ready to drop off at any moment.

He grins when Alex snorts, snuggles a little closer and enjoys the kiss that is pressed to his forehead.

…

William is six when Alex gets the call and they move across the country to Vancouver. He and Mason watch Alex’s first game from their little house in the suburbs.

“That’s Papa out there, see him?” Mason says, pointing at the screen where Alex is screaming down the ice with the puck. “Number 14?”

“Ohhh its Papa? Really?” William looks up at him in confusion and Mason smiles.

“Yep, he’s playing. You got his jersey on,” he explains, tugging on the little sleeve of William’s jersey.

William squeals excited and watches the television closely. “That Papa?”

He’s pointing at the screen and Mason smiles. “Yeah, that’s him, baby.”

Alex is being slammed into the boards by his teammates, arms in the air, and the score registers his very first NHL goal.

“He scores, Daddy. Papa scores!” William squirms excitedly in Mason’s arms, looks back at him with a grin.

“That’s right. He’s doing so good.” Mason strokes William’s curls, brown like his own.

William has brown eyes like his mother, a person Mason would really rather forget, but when William first noticed their difference, he asked if they were like Alex’s. The couple eagerly accepted that explanation over the reality and never corrected him when he said he had Papa’s eyes and Daddy’s hair.

With cold readily settling over the city, Mason wraps them in blankets on the couch to watch the rest of the game. William falls asleep in Mason’s arms before the second period is over so he turns the volume down. Alex notches a few assists and gets first star of the game. The win is sweet and Mason can’t wait for Alex to get home.

The next thing he knows, Alex is kissing his cheek and stroking his hair out of his face. William is in his arms, wriggly and excited but still yawning into Alex’s shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” he says, sitting up and accepting Alex’s kiss. “You played so well and I am so, so proud of you.”

Alex smiles, sitting down beside him, still in his suit. “Thank you, chéri. I want you to keep this.”

He pulls out of his pocket a puck, the Canucks logo emblazoned and sliced up on the top. Around the edge is a piece of masking tape, but instead of the words _First NHL Goal_ Mason sees _Will you marry me?_ written in black ink.

His head snaps to the side and Alex is smiling kind of shyly, those eyes of his glistening with something hopeful and adoring. William is dozing on Alex’s shoulder, little fingers curled into the collar of his jacket. Mason feels his eyes fill with tears and he nods, unable to speak. He reaches immediately for Alex, who kisses his forehead quickly and holds him close.

“I love you more than anything in this world, Mason. You and William are the most important things to me, and you deserve to have everything you could ever want for how big your heart is. Let me give you that.”

Mason pulls back just to sob breathlessly and say, “Yes, oh God, yes I’ll marry you. I don’t ever want to be apart from you.”

Alex kisses him firm and sweet and it’s like Mason’s world is turned upside down the best way possible.


End file.
